Ringtoss type game board



Jan, 16, 1951 o. c. SIMMONS RINGTOSS TYPE GAME BOARD Filed Feb. 15, 1948 a. C. amr/wz@ INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RING'ross TYPE GAME BOARD Oscar C. Simmons, Dallas, Tex.

Application February 18, 1948, serial No. 8,185

1 Claim.

' manner to permit various types of games to be played, and also to permit variation of the degree of difficulty, so that by selective location of pins, it is possible to require more or less skill, as desired, on the part of the player.

Another object is to provide a board of the type stated whereby the pins can be adjusted to angular positions, again for the purpose of playing different games or `requiring more or less skill, this being possible either alone or in combination with the above-mentioned varying of pin positions on the board.

Still another object is to provide a game board of the type stated which will embody, in cooperation with the pins supported thereby, a centrally disposed pocket, it being possible to play a game .in which both pins and pocket play a part, or in which either pins or pocket are used alone, at the option of the players.

Still another object is to provide a game board in which the pins rare removable, so that all or part of the pins can be used as desired, this being an added Variation possible to be used either alone or in combination with those mentioned above, for the purpose of placing a greater or smaller premium on skill.

Another important object is to provide a board of the type stated which can be used at any location, either indoors or outdoors, can be supported on legs, or positioned at on a supporting surface, whichever is desired, it being additionally possible to position the board at an incline.

Another important object is to provide a game board construction which will be exceptionally durable7 readily manufactured and set up, and

which is capable of being produced at low cost.`

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring tothe drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan viev.7 of a game board constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1. 'Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational View, on an enlarged scale, of one of the pins, a plate member secured to the pin being shown in section.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 5 designates a iiat board, preferably circular formed with a large central opening 6. Opening 6 provides access to a depending mesh pocket l, secured to the under side of the board by means of a retaining ring 8, nails 9 or similar fasteners passing through the retaining ring and top of the pocket, and into the board 5.

An outer annular series of openings I is formed in the board 5, this series being preferably disposed close to the marginal edge of the board. Another annular series of openings I I is also provided, this being an inner series disposed close tothe edge of the central opening 6.

Long pins I2 and short pins I3 are removably mounted in openings I0 and II, and can be arranged as desired. For example, all the long pins I2 can be disposed in openings III, with all the short pins I3 being disposed in openings I I. Or, the short pins can be mounted in the outer series of openings with the long pins mounted in the inner series. Or, and as shown in the drawing, long and short pins can be alternately positioned in the outer series of openings l0, with a similar Yarrangement in the inner series. Other arrangements may well suggest themselves.

The pins I2 and I3 are not only removably mounted in openings I0 and II, but also can be rotated therein, for a purpose which will appear.

Referring to the construction of the long pins, each is provided with a base I4 formed with a stop flange I5 spaced from the bottom end thereof. In this way, base I4 can be mounted in an opening with stop flange I5 engaging the upper surface of the board 5.

At its upper end, base I4 is formed at one side with an upwardly extended ear I6, the top portion of which is half round as best shown in Figure 3. Each pin I2 also includes a pin member I1 mounted on the base I4. The pin member at its bottom end is formed at one side with a downwardly extended ear I8, the bottomportion of which is half round, also as best shown in Figure 3. The ear I6 and ear I8 are formed with registering openings.

Preferably, a plate member I9 is transversely arched so as to extend partially around the pin, and through the opposed end portions of this 3 member fastening means 20 is extended, that passes through the openings of the ears, and serves as a pivot member.

By reason of this construction, it is seen that the pin member I1 mounted on the base can be angularly positioned, at selected angles relative to the upstanding base. The plate member I9 serves to provide resistance to free pivotal movement, so that when the pin member is adjusted to the desired angle, itfwill remain at said angle even when struck forcibly by a ringA thrown by a player.

The short pins I3 are formed exactly in the same manner as the long pins, differing only to the extent that the pin members 2| of the short pins are, of course, shorter.

Preferably, the top of each pin visformed with an enlarged rounded dome 22.

The game board can be supported inan --elevated position above a floor or other supporting surface, legs i23 Aremovably-mounted' in the under side of the game board 5 Abeing provided forrthis purpose. Or, if it is desired to place thegame board flat on a floor, legs 23 ,can vbe removed. Anothei` possibility is to remove one ofthe legs, this permitting the rboard 1to be disposedc-inzan inclined plane.

Each pin position .is marked with a suitable numberas shown at 24. I `believe itis well within the spirit of the `invention to ,use .namesinstea-d of numbers, or both,as desired.

In playing the game, rings 25 .would be used.

These are adapted to be thrown so as either to encircle any of the pinsv I2 or I3, orso as to be received in pocket 7.

I believe that from the description .which has been provided, and by reference to the drawing, it will be readily apparent that the rgarne'board which I have devised is unusually versatile. It can be used-either indoors or outdoors, elevated above the floor, vplaced flat on'the floor, or inclined. The locations of the pins I2wa-nd I3 can be varied in many ways. For example, if al1 the long pins I2 are disposed in the inner series -of openings II, access to the vpocket 7 becomes more dilcult. Any number of the pins Vcan be used, so that both the outer and inner series of openingscan be utilized lto support the pins,or\either of these series can be used, with no pins being disposed in the other series. Another possibility is to remove selected pins from both'series.

Games can be played in whichboth'pocket and pins play a part, and othergames can be played in which the pocket alone is used, -orthe pins alone used. Additionally, the angularity-ofr all or selected pins can be varied selectively.

Purely for the purpose of supplying examples of games which might be played with the board, the board can symbolize a.school,.,movie studio, or the like, with vthe pins representingrebellious students, or movie stars. Many other games can suggest themselves.

As may be noted by reference to'Fig. 1, in accordance Withthe invention Ythere are two annularseries of pin-receiving openings in,one .ol which Vthe short pins aremounted `and'inthe other of which the long pins Vare mounted, .these being concentric with the center opening. Each opening of the inner annular ,series is aligned radially of the center opening with a particular opening of the outer annular series. For example pin position I is aligned radially, with pinpositon 9, and pin positions 8 and I6 are also radially aligned. This is carried out throughout the game board. By reason of this arrangement, a short pin is paired with a long pin, and a long pin can be adjusted angularly toward the short pin so as to reduce the space surrounding the dome of the small pin to increase the diiculty of encircling the small pin with one of the rings 25. This angular adjustment of the upper portions of the respective pins toward and away' from each other has a direct eiect upon the relative difficulty of playing the game, and the diculty of playing the game can be reduced or increased within a wide .langd With further reference to this characteristic of the structure, it may be noted that the vertical .bases of both the short and the long pins are of equal height, the distance in the overall length oftherespective pins being varied by Variation of the length of the upper portions of said pins. This arrangement, is :one which Apermits angular adjustmentot the longer-pins to an extent which willvzswing the domes of the longer 4pins across a substantial space to an extent where theycan evenbexbrought into-'direct engagement with the domes of the short pins with which they are `radially aligned, ldespite the substantial spacing between the respective concentric .annular series.

What is claimed is:

A device of the class described including'a board formed `with a plurality of concentric, spaced apart, annular series of pin-receiving openings, each opening of a series being aligned radially of said concentric series v.with an opening .of each other series; short pins rremovably mounted in the openings of one series for rotary adjustment; andv longer pins removably mounted in the open- -ings of a diierent, adjacent series for rotary adjustment, said short and longer pins each ncluding a vertical Vbase seated in a selected position of rotary adjustment invone of ythe openings,

vthe bases of all the pins-being of equal length, a

pin member hingedly connected to said base, the .pinmembersof the longer pins being substantially longer than those of the shorter pins, and being vofza length to cause the upper ends'of thelonger pins-to engage or be positioned closely .to the upper ends of the respective shorter vpins vwith .which they areA radially .aligned when adjusted angularly upon their hinges toward the shorter :pins-andan arcuate -plate affixed to the base .and extending beyond the connection of said -member tothe Abase tostraddle the pin member, said plate frictionally engaging the. pin member in positions to which said member is swung for holding the pin member inpositions of angular ,adjustment relative to thebase.

OSCAR C. SIMMONS.

.REFERENCES CITED The following references lare of record in the lfile of this patent:

UNITED' STATES PATENTS 

